Locomotive pilot construction



M. P. BLOMBERG LOCOMOTIVE PILOT CONSTRUCTION 4 sheets-sheet 1 Filed Aug. 2, 1940 mg Q O. m N m ix um Q A m \H. I i 1 v k II & WP m r E 5% l m& 3 W 3 w r II NQ W 1941- I M. P. BLOMBERG LQCQMOTIVE PILOT CONSTRUCTION Filed Aug. 2, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 (Itto 16, 1941. M. P. BLOMBERG 2,

LOCOMOTIVE PILOT CONSTRUCTION Filed Aug. 2, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 77/227222: (QB/0221x419" twwj I v attorneys 16, 1941'. M. P. BLOMBERG LOCOMOTIVE PILOT CONSTRUCTION Filed Aug. 2, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 may 92310111 32};

Gttornegs Patented Dec. 16, 1941 LOCOMOTIVE PILOT CONSTRUCTION Martin P. Blon berg, Hinsdale, ru.. assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Michqa corporation of Delaware Application August 2,1940, Serial No. 349,712

4 Claims.

This invention relates to pilot constructions such as are suitable for use in connection with passenger locomotives of the Diesel-electric type.

In locomotives of this type, a retractible coupler is usually provided at the front end so that if necessary another locomotive or car may be coupled thereto. When the coupler is not being used it is moved to retracted position and the opening through which it is extended in the front end of the locomotive is closed by one or more doors.

It is an object of my invention to provide such a construction wherein the doors which serve to close the coupler opening will form a part of the locomotive pilot structure when in closed position, at which time they are reinforced to make them strong enough to withstand the impacts of collisions. This reinforcement is accomplished by providing a brace member which when the doors are closed may be moved to a position where it will be located immediately behind the doors adjacent the lower edge thereof, and when the doors are opened and the coupler is to be used, the brace member may be swung up out of the way in order that the steam or other connections may be made to the next car or locomotive.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent upon reference to the following description and accompanying draWings in which Figure l is a perspective view of the front end of a locomotive equipped with my improved pilot construction.

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken through the front end of the locomotive.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-4 of Figure 2.

' Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 55 of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a horizontal sectional view taken through the front end of the locomotive.

Figure 7 is a front elevational view of the pilot construction.

Figure 8 is a side elevational view of the pilot construction.

The numeral l0 designates the body of a locomotive of the Diesel-electric type, the front end l2 of which is rounded and sloped rearwardly to give it a stream-lined shape. i4 is a rail which extends around the front andboth-sides of the body at a level substantially in line with the locomotive platform 16, and i8 is a bumper located at the front end of thelocomotive.

Disposed below the rail 14 on each side of the body is a plate which is curved to conform to the shape of the front end of the body and which extends downwardly as at 22 at its forward end'to form part of a pilot construction. As best shown in Figs. 1 and 4, the plate 20 terminates on line 24, and has welded toit on that line a triangular shaped plate 26. Welded to the plate 26 is a vertically extending bar 28'which serves to reinforce it.

Pivotally connected to the plates by hinges 30 are doors 32 and 34 which are of such shape that when they are closed they form a part of a V-shaped pilot which slopes rearwardly and upwardly and which is curved at its upper end back to the bumper l8, as shownin Fig. 3. The construction of these doors is best shown in Figs. 7 and 8, from which it will be seen that a vertically extending bar 36 is welded to each of the doors adjacent to the edge which is hinged to the plate 26. At the opposite edge of the door 32 a smaller vertically extending bar 38 is welded, while at v the bottom of each of the doors a relatively narrow plate 40 is welded thereto, and to this plate is welded a horizontally extending bar 42 to the underside of which is welded another bar 44. Each of the doors is stiffened by a relatively heavy reinforcing bar 45 which extends horizontally across the middle portion of the doors and is welded to the inner surfaces thereof and to the vertically extending bars 35 and 38. To the upper edge of each of the doors a narrow strip 46 is secured, such strip being curved to conform to the shape of the front end of the body.

When the doors are in the open position shown in Figs. '7 and 8, the retractible coupler 48 shown in dotted lines may be pulled out to extended position in order that the locomotive may be coupled to a car or to another locomotive. The doors are held in this position by hooks 50 which are secured to the doors and which are adapted to fit into eyes 52 mounted on the plates 20.

When the front coupler is not being used, it is moved to the retracted position in which it is shown in Fig. 3, and the doors are closed. Since they are located at the foremost part of the locomotive, and are intended to serve as part of the pilot structure when in closedposition, they must be braced when in that position in order that they may be strong enough to withstand collision forces and stresses. To accomplish this the following structure is provided.

Projecting downwardly from and secured to the locomotive platform It are vertically extending plates 54, the forward edges of which are welded to the plates 28. Horizontally extend-- ing-plates 88 which are welded to the bottom edge of the plates 84 and also to the plates 28 have connected to their upper surfaces spaced lugs 88, between which fitears 88 which are secured to the ends oi a bracemember designated generally by the numeral 82, which member is made up of a horizontally extending bar 84 to which the ears are welded, and a slightly shorter bar 88 secured to the underside of the bar 84. Fastened to the upper and lower surfaces of the bars 84 and 86 by bolts 88 are strips I8 and I2 respectively, which project forwardly beyond the edges of the bars 84 and 88 to form a groove I4 which serves a purpose to be later described. The bars 84 and 88 and the strips I8 and I2 are all made of V-shape as shown in Fig. 2, in order bolt bearing against the handle and serving hold the bolt in the down position, as shown Fig. 5. when the doors are to be opened. handle is lifted upwardly, thereby raising the bolt, and is turned ninety degrees so that it will rest on top of a stop I28 formed on the bracket II8, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, in which location it will hold the bolt in its uppermost position.

After the door 82 has been closed and locked in that position, the door 84 is closed and latches I28, operable from the outside of the door by handles I30, are turned so that they extend behind the door 82, as shown in Fig. 5, thereby that they may conform generally to the shape of the doors and fit closely behind the latter. The brace member is supported by pins 18 which extend through the lugs 88 and the ears 88 and which form a pivotal connection between the two.

Extending across the space between the plates 88 and welded thereto and also to the plates 54 is a cross member I1 which is of inverted U-shape in cross-section. This member is connected to vertically extending plates I8, which project downwardly from the locomotive platform to form the coupler pocket, by gusset plates 88 which are welded to the cross member and are secured to the plates I8 by bolts 82. The pilot.

structure i further stiffened on each side by a diagonally extending brace 84'connected at its upper end by a pin 88 to a gusset plate 88 secured to the locomotive platform, and is connected at its lower end by a pin 88 to a gusset plate 82 which is welded to the plate 88.

As shown in Fig. 3, there is a supporting plate 84 extending across the space between the legs of the U-shaped cross member I8 and welded thereto. 88 represents a steam pipe which extends downwardly to a point below the coupler pocket, and 88 is a steam connection which is adapted to be coupled to a similar member on the next car or locomotive. Fittings I00, I82 and I84 of the usual type employed for this purpose are interposed between the steam pipe 88 and the connection 88 to permit the latter to have the required amount of movement during coupling and operation. The steam connection 88 is yieldingly supported by a coil spring I08, the lower end of which engages a hook I88 on the connection, and the upper end of which is connected to a link III! which extends through a slot II2 formed in the supporting plate 84, there being a pin I I4 passing through the link I I0 and resting. on top of the supporting plate 84.

When the doors are to be closed, the brace member 62 is set in the position shown in Figs. 2,. 3 and 5, in which position the groove I4 between the strips I0 and I2 will be in line with the bars locking the door 84 to the door 82. A batten strip I48 secured to the door 84 extends over the door 82 to cover up the crack between the two doors when they are in closed position.

When the front coupler is to be used, the doors are unlocked, swung to open position and hooked in that position, and the brace member 82 is swung upwardly about the pivotal connections formed by the pins 18 into the position shown in Fig. '7, and in dotted lines in Fig. 3. This of course results in its being moved out from in front of the steam connection 88 and permits the latter to be coupled to the steam connection on the next car or locomotive. The brace member 82 is held in its upper position by means of hooks I82 carried by the supporting plate 84, the hooks fitting into holes provided in clips I84 attached to the brace member. Links I88 secured by chains I88 to the hooks are adapted to be inserted into openings in the ends of the hooks to lock the latter in place in the clips I84.

It will be seen from the above that I have provided a construction in which the doors which close the coupler opening serve to form a part of the pilot structure, and are reinforced by a heavy brace member which may be swung up out of the way of the steam connection when the locomotive is to be coupled to another locomotive or car. The whole pilot structure is rigidly braced to strengthen it so that it will be able to withstand the stresses and forces which may be placed upon it as a result of collisions.

While I have disclosed and described a specific embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that various changes in details of construction and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination, a locomotive pilot structure having an opening formed therein. a retractible coupler extendable through said opening, a pair of doors adapted to close said open- I ing when the coupler is in retracted position,

42 and Which are secured to the inside of the door, so that these bars will fit into the groove and will bear against the bars 84 and 68, which will serve to brace the doors and to resist any forces tending to move them inwardly. The door 82 is closed first and is locked in that position by a bolt I I6 carried by a bracket II8 secured to the inside of door 82, the bolt extending downwardly through openings formed in projections I20 formed on the strips I0 and I2, as shown in Fig. 2, and also through openings formed in the bars 42 and 44. The bolt may be lifted out of these openings by a handle I22, secured to the bolt, a

compression spring I24 which extends around the said doors forming a part of the pilot structure when in closed position, and a member having its ends supported on saidpilot structure and bridging the lower portion of the opening, said member being movable to an operative position wherein it will be in contact with said doors when the latter are in closed position, and being movable to an inoperative position when the doors are open to give access to equipment 10- ated within the pilot structure. a

2. In combination, a locomotive pilot structure having an opening formed therein, a retractible coupler extendable through said opening, a pair of doors adapted to close said opening when the coupler is in retracted position, said doors forming a part of the pilot structure when in closed position, a frame work connected to opposite opening when the coupler is in retracted position,

give access to equipment located within the pilot structure.

4. Incombination, a locomotive platform, a pilot structure having an opening formed therein, a retractible coupler extendable through said opening, a pair of doors adapted to close said opening when the coupler retracted position, said doors forming a part of the pilot structure when in closed position, a frame work consisting of horizontally extending plates secured to opposite sides of said pilot structure,

.vertically extending plates connected to said horizontally extending plates and to the locomosaid doors forming a part of the pilot structure when in closed position, a framework consisting of horizontally extending plates secured to opposite sides of the pilot structure, vertically extending plates connected to said horizontally extending plates and to said locomotive platform, and a member which when in operative position is in contact with said doors when the latter are in closed position, said member being pivotally supported on'said horizontally extending plates in order that it may be moved to inoperative position when the doors are in open position to tive platform, a cross member secured to said horizontally extending plates and to said vertically extending plates, and a member movable to operative position wherein it will be in contact with said doors when the latter are in closed position, said member being pivotally supported on said horizontally extending plates in order that it may be swung upwardly to an out-of-theway position when the doors are in open position to give access to equipment located within the pilot structure.

P. BLOMBERG. 

